Anne Arundel County police make arrests

Anne Arundel County police said they made 11 arrests during a DUI enforcement period.

Authorities said the checkpoint took place Friday along Ritchie Highway and 11th Avenue in Brooklyn Park. The enforcement initiative was a joint effort with the assistance of the Maryland State Police consisting of two separate checkpoints. One checkpoint was on northbound Ritchie Highway while the other was southbound on Ritchie Highway. In addition, there were supporting DUI prevention saturation patrols taking place in the area.

During the checkpoints, officers made contact with 695 drivers, and of those, police said five were arrested for DUI, one for possession of narcotics, one for disorderly conduct, two for driving on a suspended license, one for an open arrest warrant and one for prostitution as a result of saturation patrols in the area.

Authorities said the Brooklyn Park area accounted for 6 percent of all DUI arrests and about 4 percent of DUI-related crashes in 2011.

DUI checkpoints and increased patrols have been an effective strategy for removing drunken or drugged drivers from the road, police said. These details are an element of an overall strategy of prevention, education, and enforcement to reduce the number of alcohol-involved crashes along with the injuries and deaths they cause.

Citizens who see vehicles operated by impaired drivers are encouraged to contact the Police Department at 410-222-8610 and provide a description of the vehicle, tag number and direction of travel.